University of Massachusets Athletics
1999 UMass Football Preview
September 08, 1999 | Football
Heading into the 1998 season, the UMass football team had no where to go but up. The Minutemen were coming off a 2-9 season, their worst since the 1950s. UMass also had a new coaching staff in place, and would have to replace 10 members of its starting lineup.
Few could have predicted what would happen to that team. The Minutemen made one of the most incredible turnarounds in the history of college football, posting an 8-3 record in the regular season before sweeping through four playoff games to claim the first national football championship in school or Atlantic 10 Conference history. Along the way, UMass set 42 team or individual single season records, including the team marks for most points scored (524) and most yards of total offense (7,074).
Now, only one year later, outsiders might think UMass has no where to go but down. After all, how could the Minutemen repeat the storybook season of 1998, where they pulled out six victories in the final minute of play? But if you talk to second-year head coach Mark Whipple, it becomes obvious that UMass intends to put a better team on the field this fall.
True, the Minutemen did prove on the field that they were the best team in the nation in 1998. But that does not mean there is no room to improve. Whipple is quick to point out a few key areas where he knows his team needs to be better if it plans to return to Chattanooga on December 18.
?We have not talked about winning another national championship, but we have mentioned being better than last year,? says Whipple. ?The big thing for us is improvement. Hopefully, the legacy last year?s team left was not so much that they were national champions, but that they improved from week to week and became a great football team.?
The biggest area where the Minutemen may need to improve is in the turnover column. UMass gave the ball away 44 times during the 1998 season, and finished the year at -4 in the turnover column thanks only to a +5 mark against Georgia Southern in the NCAA Championship Game. The Minutemen were also dead last in the Atlantic 10 with a -8 turnover margin during the regular season.
?You are not supposed to win a lot of football games when you turn the ball over more than your opponent does,? says Whipple. ?It is amazing we won as many games as we did last season, when you look at how many times we gave the football away. One of our goals for this season is to hold onto the ball better and to make better decisions when throwing the ball. Since our key skill position players have an extra year of experience, we think we can do that.?
The defense is another area where UMass will look to be better in 1999. The Minutemen did force 40 turnovers on the year and had a number of big games late in the season, but the overall numbers were not impressive. UMass allowed opponents to gain over 400 yards and score over 28 points per game during the 1998 season.
?Our defense always stepped up to make the big plays when we needed them to last season,? says Whipple. ?But if we want to win games, we can not give up as many yards and points. We need to have a more consistent defensive effort this season, and with added depth and experience we expect that to happen.?
But even though the Minutemen have some areas where they need to improve, the foundation of last year?s championship team is back. Sixteen out of 24 starters return, including nine on the defensive side of the ball. All told, UMass has back over 95 percent of its total offense and nearly 80 percent of its total tackles.
To top it all off, there is no complacency in Amherst following last season?s national championship. ?Throughout the winter and the spring, our players were working hard in the weight room to get in the best shape of their lives,? says Whipple. ?They were excited about the recruits we signed in February, and they were excited to get back on the field during spring practice and try to improve. That kind of attitude can only help us.?
Here is a position-by-position breakdown of how the Minutemen should look in 1999.
Quarterback
UMass will once again base its offensive system around senior All-America quarterback Todd Bankhead. After starting all 15 games during the 1998 season, Bankhead will be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and should have another outstanding campaign during his senior season. He completed 303 of 525 passes for 3,919 yards and 34 touchdowns last year, and should easily break the UMass career records for yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts.
?The best thing about Todd Bankhead is that he has another year of experience,? says Whipple. ?He now has a complete understanding of our offensive system, and has become a leader on the field. His decision making has also improved, which should help him cut down on interceptions this season.?
Backing up Bankhead will be the duo of junior Ed Campbell and redshirt freshman Kelly Seibert. Campbell has played in only one game each of the last two seasons, while Seibert sat out as a redshirt in 1998, but both players have the ability to step into the lineup if necessary.
Running Back
The Minutemen should have one of the top groups of running backs in the nation, led by Walter Payton Award candidate Marcel Shipp. An All-America selection last season, Shipp rushed for 2,542 yards and 18 touchdowns, including a streak of 12 consecutive 100-yard games to close out the season. He will once again be the top back for the Minutemen, providing balance for the UMass offense.
?Marcel Shipp is one of the best running backs I have ever coached,? says Whipple. ?He is a very elusive runner who has deceptive speed. The amazing thing about the numbers he put up last year is that he played hurt in a number of games. If he stays fully healthy this season, there is no telling what he can do.?
While Shipp will be the player opposing teams are looking to stop, he is not the only threat out of the UMass backfield. Sophomore Kevin Quinlan showed flashes of brilliance last season in the few opportunities he had behind Shipp at tailback, including a 147-yard performance in the McNeese State game when Shipp was injured. Redshirt freshman Tre Brady, who ran for a team-best 87 yards in the UMass spring game, will compete with Quinlan for playing time as a reserve.
The Minutemen may be inexperienced at fullback, but there is no lack of talent. The top two candidates to replace the graduated Matt Jordan in the starting lineup are sophomores Pete Cariello and Brian Kozikowski. Cariello, who was a backup linebacker in 1998, had 1,382 yards and 22 touchdowns out of the backfield during his senior year in high school. Kozikowski also moves over from the defense, after serving as a second-string defensive lineman a year ago. As a high school fullback, Kozikowski rushed for 527 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. Developing sophomore James St. Fort will provide added depth.
Receivers
Wide receiver may be the position where the Minutemen have the most depth this season. Even with the graduation of Jimmy Moore, who set school records with 92 catches, 1,494 yards and 16 touchdowns in 1998, the majority of the top wide receivers from the 1998 team will be back in uniform come the fall. 1998 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Adrian Zullo is sure to hold down one of the starting spots, and junior Steve Ley should take over a starting role. Zullo had 29 catches for 479 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman, while Ley has totaled 19 receptions for 225 yards and three scores in his first two years.
?Adrian Zullo is an outstanding young player who has the game-breaking speed to really stretch defenses,? says Whipple. ?Steve Ley should provide a good compliment, as a possession receiver with very good hands. We also have a number of other talented young receivers, who will give us the ability to use more sets with three or four wide outs.?
Sophomores Eric Bross and Eddie Bowman both played well as backups in 1998 and should see increased roles in the offense this year. Others with an ability to contribute are junior college transfers Troy Lockman and Jeff Howard, sophomores Paul Tupa and DeShon Howard, and freshmen Kion Copeland and Jimmie Howard.
At tight end the Minutemen will have to overcome the loss of All-American Kerry Taylor, who caught 74 passes for 854 yards last season. Senior Sean Higgins, who started two games a year ago as the top backup, should be able to step in as the full time starter. Also looking to contribute at tight end will be redshirt freshman Greg Ward and junior college transfer Rich Palmese.
Offensive Line
There are two holes for the Minutemen to fill on the offensive line with the graduation of center Deyate Hagood and tackle Mim Hill. UMass returns both of its starting guards, junior Tyler Lauback and senior Academic All-American Mike Wynne, from a unit which allowed the Minutemen to rush for 201.6 yards per game in 1998. Senior tackle Cliff Bolden is also back, while Corey Mitchell, the top backup a year ago, should earn the starting role at the other tackle spot. Redshirt freshman Maikel Miret will look to win the starting job at center, where he will be pushed by junior college transfer Ryan Woods. Senior Scott Shearer and junior Joe Frawley will also contribute.
?We should have a very good offensive line this season,? says Whipple. ?Mike Wynne, Tyler Lauback and Cliff Bolden are all coming off very solid seasons, and Corey Mitchell and Maikel Miret showed in the spring they have the ability to start. Ryan Woods, Scott Shearer and Joe Frawley also played very well in the spring, giving us eight guys who can do the job up front.?
Defensive Line
On the defensive line, all four starters return to stop the run and put pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Senior Chris Price and junior Dan Schneider, who both had huge games during the 1998 playoffs, will hold down the starting spots on the ends. Price had a team-best eight sacks in 1998 among his 62 total tackles, while Schneider totaled six sacks and 55 tackles. Senior Joe Abasciano and sophomore Damon Robinson will provide depth behind Price and Schneider.
UMass also has both of its starters back at defensive tackle in junior Paul Bolden and senior Aaron Parker. Parker led all UMass defensive linemen in tackles last season with 66 to go along with six sacks, while Bolden totaled 50 tackles and five sacks a year ago. Senior Jamil Thomas, redshirt freshman Khalil Blakey and junior college transfer Mike Cirullo will also compete for playing time at tackle.
?The defensive line should be a real strength for us this season,? says Whipple. ?We have all four starters back, so we expect them to pick up right where they left off a year ago. We also have even more depth this year, which will allow us to put fresh bodies up front throughout the game.?
Linebacker
At linebacker, UMass will have to deal with the graduation of All-American Khari Samuel, but all is not lost. The Minutemen still have two starters back in 1998 in junior Kole Ayi and senior Matt Dawson. Ayi led the team with 165 tackles in 1998, including a school single season record 116 solo stops. Dawson totaled 103 tackles a year ago, fourth-most on the team, to go along with five sacks, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and eight pass breakups. Joining Ayi and Dawson in the starting lineup should be senior Dan Healey, a key special teams performer over the last few seasons, who totaled 30 tackles in 1998.
?We have the ability to be just as good at linebacker as we were last season,? says Whipple. ?Kole Ayi is highly respected by everyone following his great year in 1998. Matt Dawson has proven he has the ability to make big plays throughout his career, and Dan Healey has some great experience playing on special teams and as a backup.?
Providing depth will be junior Compton Webster, who made valuable contributions a year ago as a backup to Samuel. Redshirt freshman Corey Potter, a former defensive back, and junior college transfer Julian Cover should also see playing time.
Secondary
In the defensive backfield, the Minutemen return three out of four starters. At the safety positions, junior Brian Smith and sophomore Jeremy Robinson are both back. Smith, the strong safety, ranked third on the team in tackles in 1998 with 133, while tying for the team lead in both pass breakups (15) and interceptions (three). Robinson, who plays free safety, made 61 tackles during his freshman season, while also picking off a pair of passes. Junior Lance Overby, who started four games in 1998 when Robinson was injured and totaled 57 tackles on the year, provides great depth and should once again see action as a nickel back. Senior Bryan King could also see action at safety.
Senior Jerard White returns as one of the starting cornerbacks, after totaling 54 tackles a year ago and also tying with Smith for the team lead in both pass breakups (15) and interceptions (three). At the other cornerback spot, senior Willie Hemmer, who played primarily on special teams in 1998, is expected to take over as the starter. Freshmen Shawn Murray and Corey Edwards could also contribute.
?Four of our top five defensive backs return from last season, in Brian Smith, Jerard White, Jeremy Robinson and Lance Overby,? says Whipple. ?Willie Hemmer has really stepped up and should solidify the secondary, while newcomers like Shawn Murray and Corey Edwards could also be impact players. With that kind of depth we should be more flexible in the backfield, allowing us to expand our overall defensive package.?
Special Teams
Looking at the kicking game, UMass will return its placekicker but has to look for a new punter. Sophomore Jason Cherry took over as the kicker midway through last season and proved to be dependable on extra points and short field goals. He set an NCAA championship game record with seven extra points against Georgia Southern, and heads into the season as the starter. Talented freshman Doug White could challenge Cherry for the starting job during preseason practice. With the graduation of punter Andrew Maclay, who started for four years, look for White, redshirt freshman Todd Dornlas or true freshman David Sanger to handle punting duties.
?Jason Cherry had a very solid freshman season and continued to improve during the spring,? says Whipple. ?We expect him to handle extra points and short field goal attempts for us. In addition, Doug White and David Sanger are both very talented young players, and we expect them to come in and compete for spots right away.?
As for kick returners, the Minutemen seem to have an unlimited number of options. Adrian Zullo and Kevin Quinlan both had outstanding freshman seasons returning kickoffs, with Zullo bringing back 31 for 681 yards and Quinlan returning 15 for 366 yards. Troy Lockman could also be a threat as a return man, after leading the nation in kick returns at Glendale (Ariz.) Community College in 1997. Willie Hemmer and Jerard White also returned kicks at times last season, providing added depth. Zullo, Quinlan and Lockman are also the top candidates to return punts, where Jeremy Robinson, DeShon Hardy and Jimmie Howard could also be factors.
Schedule
One of the biggest challenges facing the Minutemen in 1999 may be their schedule. UMass will once again play six road games this season, all against teams which had winning records in 1998. The Minutemen must travel to face defending Atlantic 10 champion Richmond and Division I-A Toledo, a power in the Mid-American Conference, while also playing two teams which won 12 games each in 1997 in Delaware and Villanova. On the other road trips UMass heads to William & Mary (7-4 in 1998) and Maine, where the Minutemen have not won since 1991.
While the home schedule may not be quite as tough as what lies ahead for UMass on the road, it is certainly no walk in the park. Three of the teams coming to Amherst had winning records a year ago, including NCAA quarterfinalist Connecticut and always-tough non-conference foe Hofstra (8-3 in 1998). All told, UMass? 11 foes combined for a 72-53 (.576) record last season.
?Having such a tough schedule really helps our team to stay focused,? says Whipple. ?Every team we play is good enough to beat us, so we have to take things one game at a time. The difficulty of our schedule also says a lot about how good the Atlantic 10 Conference is, since there are no guaranteed wins.?
Closing Thoughts
With 16 starters returning and a number of quality backups looking to win starting jobs, the Minutemen look to be building one of the top teams in the nation this season. The offense has the ability to be among the best in the country, and if the defense continues to improve as it did last season, it could be among the top units in the Atlantic 10. There is no doubt the Minutemen have the talent necessary to contend for the conference and national titles.
In the end, how much success UMass has in 1999 will likely come down to the little things that made the Minutemen so good a year ago. Can the team improve from week-to-week like it did in 1998? Will the Minutemen come up with big plays to pull out games in the closing minutes, as they did so many times a year ago? Can the reserves once again step up and contribute when a key starter goes down with an injury? The answers to questions like those will determine whether or not the 1999 Minutemen will be just a good team, or a great team.
